Surface segments cost me dearly
 

I am midway through the following RTW AONE on an AA ticket orignally issued January 2008

JNB-LHR-JFK-NRT-KIX-HKG-BOM-HKG-JMB

I left KIX by another carrier and will be back in NRT in 2 weeks.

I already made a reservation with AA for the following

NRT-HKG-BOM-HKG-JNB and will go ahead and reticket next week


This complete routing past and future

JNB-LHR-JFK-NRT/HMD-KIX surface NRT-HKG-BOM-HKG-JNB

I think I will have to pay an additional $500 because the surface segment counts as a fifth Asian segment and I now realise I should have spent $200 on a single HMD-KIX . Am I correct that I will pay $500 or does the surface segment only count toward the total limit

Surface segments do not count against the continental limits - unless you actually travel on 5 (or more) inter-asian flights as part of the booking the purchase of additional segments is not required.

Note that surface segments DO count against the 16 segment total xONEx limit.

e.g. The following is valid as part of a xONEx and no additional segments need be purchased:

• -YVR-HKG-TPE-HKG,BKK-SIN,KUL-NRT,HKG-LHR-

However, in this example, the Intra Asian segments do use up 7 of the total 16 available.

The actual wording of the rule is: